ICP Support

Healing Touch is practiced, governed and promoted using the highest professional standards.

The Healing Touch Program Code of Ethics and the Scope of Practice are two documents that are essential to the foundation, integrity and practice of Healing Touch. Healing Touch Program instructors, practitioners and students uphold the core concepts and values of Healing Touch through adhering to the principles and guidelines outlined in these documents.

The Ethics Committee is the guardian of the Code of Ethics and Statement of Scope of Practice. The fundamental values of the Ethics Committee are quality, integrity, compassion, collaboration and commitment.

The Healing Touch Program Code of Ethics expresses clear guidelines for the teaching and practice of Healing Touch. In so doing, the Code exemplifies the ethical standards that are necessary to underpin Healing Touch practice and promote professional ideals, aspirations and a sense of safety and trusteeship for society.

The Healing Touch Program Scope of Practice defines the levels of Healing Touch practice, and outlines how Healing Touch providers may refer to themselves, how they can practice and what they must be mindful of when practicing.

These three posters about Healing Touch with veterans have been presented at Healing Touch Program conferences and are available to download. Click on the poster to download it.

Seeding Healing Touch in VISN 12

Overview: The VA Great Lakes Health Care System (VISN 12), a group of seven VA medical centers and over thirty VA clinics, is dedicated to providing a comprehensive health care package to America’s veterans. VA Great Lakes serves veterans who reside in northwestern Indiana, northern Illinois, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Three medical centers in VISN 12 have been actively seeding Healing Touch (HT): Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital and Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center. In 2011 the first Healing Touch classes were taught at Hines VA Hospital and three Hines employees have completed Level 4 and are working on Level 5. As of 2014 17 HT classes have been taught at Hines, 5 HT classes have been taught at Zablocki and 12 at Jesse Brown. Students who have taken these classes are actively offering Healing Touch to Veterans through pain clinics, fairs, Stand Downs and in a variety of other ways.

In September 2012 a study published in Military Medicine compared the impact of Healing Touch and Guided Imagery plus treatment as usual in the study group (HT + GI + TAU) to treatment as usual only (TAU) in the control group on PTS symptoms, depression, quality of life and hostility in active duty military personnel. The group of 123 participants were randomly assigned to receive either 6 sessions of HT + GI + TAU over 3 weeks vs. TAU over 3 weeks. Statistical analyses (repeated measures analysis of covariance with intent-to-treat) revealed statistically and clinically significant reduction in PTSD symptoms (p < 0.0005, Cohen’s d = 0.85) as well as depression (p < 0.0005, Cohen’s d = 0.70) for the group receiving HT+GI vs. TAU. This same group also showed significant improvements in mental quality of life (p = 0.002, Cohen’s d = 0.58) and reduced cynicism (p = 0.001, Cohen’s d =0.49) vs. TAU group.

This well conducted study supports the use of Healing Touch in the care of military personnel with PTS. Further study is warranted.

When implementing Healing Touch to use for patient care, the facility will want to establish policy and procedure guidelines. This sample Policy and Procedure document was taken from the Healing Touch Integrative Care Program: Integrating Healing Touch in the Clinic Setting manual.

The Healing Touch Integrative Care Program: Integrating Healing Touch in the Clinical Setting manual provides the structure for implementing Healing Touch that includes useful tools to assist with each step in the process.

There is quantitative and qualitative research, anecdotal support and pilot studies that support the use of Healing Touch in the clinical setting. Information on Healing Touch research can be found at www.HealingTouchResearch.com.

Healing Touch is used in hospitals, VA medical centers, hospices and in other healthcare settings. This document lists of some of the healthcare facilities that use Healing Touch, and also facilities that have trained nurses in Healing Touch.